Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has insisted Sunday’s huge meeting with Barcelona will not define his team, simply proclaiming: “Real Madrid wins titles with Mourinho.”

Madrid find themselves third in La Liga after the first nine games of Mourinho’s second reign. Atlético Madrid enter the weekend one point ahead, with Barcelona a further five in front up in first. Performances have been mixed and there are genuine fears that Los Blancos could be out of the title race if Hansi Flick’s side are victorious on Sunday.

It was put to Mourinho that he will get a concrete understanding of where his side truly are after Sunday’s Clásico, but the Madrid boss was simply not interested as he set his sights even higher.

“It isn’t [a litmus test],” Mourinho warned the media. “Real Madrid wins titles with Mourinho.”

If that proclamation is to remain accurate, Madrid will need to find a way to stop Barcelona this weekend. The reigning champions could be nine points ahead after just 10 matches if they extend their perfect start. Barça ended last season eight points ahead of Madrid.

Mourinho: Lack of Credit No Surprise

On paper, most teams on the planet would gleefully accept Madrid’s start to the season. Mourinho has overseen 10 wins and two losses from his first 12 games back at the helm, with a perfect record in the Champions League after three rounds of the league phase played.

The mood surrounding Madrid does not match that record.

In truth, a series of underwhelming performances and questions about the roles of several big names have left many questioning whether this iteration of Madrid is capable of living up to the high standards at the Bernabéu, with Mourinho’s own credentials under scrutiny.

“I have the feeling that’s just how Real Madrid is,” Mourinho said when asked if he feels he deserves more credit. “I don’t look for anything more than credit for my players when they do well and criticism for their coach when we don’t do so well.

“It’s the story of all coaches. Some matches are won by the players and others are lost by the coaches; that’s life. There are at least two Clásicos a season. The most important thing is the global dimension. There are other important ones, but this one is unique. The world stops to watch it.”

Mourinho went on to argue Madrid have been victims of comparison to a Barcelona unit that already has plenty of experience together.

“The fact that people speak well of Barça doesn’t bother me,” he said. “To be honest, there are matches where they obviously deserve to be praised because they do some really good things.

“In our case, we’re seen as a finished product. Finished products in football are difficult to define. If you’re talking about us at an advanced stage of the process, we’ve been working for three months. If you take away preseason, the international break ... we’ve been working for a month and a half.

“Far from being a finished product, we’re an initial product where we’re in a preliminary phase where the coach is getting to know us, analyzing and developing strategies ... The players are also getting to know me. Comparing a team like this with one that’s been around for longer doesn’t seem fair to me.”